About Joining Hearts
When Joining Hearts held its first main event in 1987, there was little known about HIV/AIDS. The world began to recognize its grave importance, and so our founders stepped up to start helping people living with HIV/AIDS in Atlanta. And now, 37 years later, the metro Atlanta community is once again in an HIV/AIDS crisis. While other cities in the country are seeing virtually no new HIV infections, Atlanta is seeing new infections at numbers we haven’t seen since the 1980’s.
Everyday there are a wide range of organizations working to stop the spread of HIV throughout Atlanta. We can’t support them without your continued support. It is just as important today as it was 36 years ago to support this cause; to support the local organizations and people that are fighting to stop the spread of the HIV virus and helping people who are living with the disease.
Since 1987, Joining Hearts has donated more than $3 million to our beneficiaries.
Our Mission
The mission of Joining Hearts is to raise awareness and funds to support prevention, care, and housing assistance to those impacted by HIV/AIDS in Atlanta.
History: Where it All Began
Joining Hearts was started in 1987 by a group of friends who wanted to do their part to help a friend impacted by HIV/AIDS who needed financial assistance to stay in his home. This group of friends decided to throw an event to raise funds to provide support for him to stay in his home.
The friends decided to make this an annual event with all the proceeds going to local organizations with a focus on helping people living with HIV/AIDS. This formed what is called now today as the Host Committee of Joining Hearts.
As needs and medical advances evolved, Joining Hearts had to do the same and expanded to add additional events to answer the call to action to make a bigger impact in Atlanta.
In year 30, this led to a direct change in our focus by expanding our mission to support care and provision in addition to housing in which we were formed.
Board of Directors
Jerry Henderson (he/him)
President
Jonathan Foulk (he/him)
Vice President
Cory Jobe
Director of Finance
David Elsea (he/him)
Director of Communications
Michael Boggan
Director of Patrons
Anthony Baza-Fainn (he/him)
Director of Events
Rosalyn Jordan (she/her)
Director of Marketing
Brett Hill (he/him)
Director of Volunteers
Kevin Moore (he/him)
Director of Host Engagement
2024 Sponsors
Patrons
Heart of Diamond: $5,000+
- Scott Evers & Al Besse
Heart of Gold: $3,000+
- Jeremy Palmer & Nicolas Scheuer
- Andy Wertz
Four Heart Patron: $1,950+
Three Heart Patron: $950+
- Todd Hill & Kevin Wysner
- Thomas Hogshead
Two Heart Patron: $650+
- Melanea Alvarez
- Gene Battles & Geoff Sobeck
- Jeff Brewer
- Pedini of Altanta
- Piedmont BARK
- Craig Fisk, DDS
- Darell Gingrich & Brian Jenks
- Peter & Irvin
- David Holland, MD
- Gary Iskol
- Chris Krebs
- Paul Lawrence & David Malo
- Kerry Loftis & David Sigler
- Matt Moncrief
- In Memory of Jason Arencibia
- Roger & Bill Rutkowski
- Josh Vasil & Allen Wilson
- Todd Waltman
- Don Hemrick & Kevin Workman
One Heart Patrons: $350+
- Jeremy Bolio
- Robert Gaul Architectural Design
- Erick Johnson
- Michael Lamb
- Mark Lenkiewicz
- William Mandarino
- Sergio Orlando
- Jeff Paramore
- In Memory of Linda Patterson Slappey
- Alan Phelps
- Reed Pitre MD
- Jon Santos
- Maureen Smith
- Reggie V. Speegle
- Dean Stooksbury
- Ronald Trible
Honorary Patrons
Honorary Patrons are people who have gone above and beyond for Joining Hearts over the years. They have donated time, money and/or guidance to help Joining Hearts become what it is today. We can’t do what we do without them:
- John Baird
- Erin Bakermans
- Drew Barton
- Wes Berry
- Walt Bilinski
- Tommy Brendiar
- Jeff Brewer
- Tim Burns
- Bart Clennon
- Alan Collins
- Rhonda Creekmore
- Tina Cunningham
- Travis Denison
- Ed Doolittle
- Mike Ertle
- Ken Exum
- Charlie Frew
- Joe Greene
- Ben Hadsock
- Chip Hamner
- Keith Hand
- Kevin Jerome
- Kevin Kelly
- Jeremiah Lawson
- Dan Lax
- Billy Ledford
- Mark Lenkiewicz
- Kerry Loftis
- Steve MacNeil
- Patrick McCulley
- Mandy Murray
- Mike Pope
- Philip Rafshoon
- Dan Rauzi
- Barbara Roberts
- Jon Santos
- Doug Sleezer
- Brian Stanton
- Mack Turner
- Michael Vorndran
- Greg Whitmire
Host Committee
- Alex Kelly
- Anthony Baza-Fainn*
- Brett Hill*
- Ceci Robinson*
- Clay Hartzog
- Cory Jobe*
- Craig Knapp
- Cuong Lam
- Darrick Brown
- Demarcus Austin
- Dustin Martz
- Edwin Dill
- Gary Harrell
- Georgios Spiliopoulos
- James McGraw
- Jerry Henderson
- Jonathan Foulk*
- Kevin Moore*
- Lydia Gerzel*
- Marcus Merritt
- Mona Lott
- Richard Norton
- Rosalyn Jordan
- Terry Lee Sutter
- Toby Just Toby
- Tony Isom
- Trina Thomas
- Tristan Panucci Dupree
* Currently serving on the Joining Hearts Board
Partners
These are organizations that work with us to achieve our mission by helping to promote our events.
